Generic drugs work just as well as original preparations and are cheaper
According to a new study generics for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension), hyperlipidemia (High blood fat), and Diabetes Mellitus in relation to their effectiveness are the same good as Original products. In addition, such drugs are usually significantly more cost-effective.
Again and again, it is claimed that so-called generics (generic drugs) seem to be less strong than an original preparation. However, in terms of the effectiveness of the treatment of diseases such as high blood pressure or Diabetes, a new study by the Medical University (MedUni) this is not true of Vienna, according to.
Cheaper than the original drugs
“Generics (generic drugs, generic drugs) are medicines that may be sold after the expiry of the patent protection of an original drug as an active ingredient, the same succession of products of other pharmaceutical companies,” health on the public health portal of Austria”.gv.at“ be explained.
“These must demonstrate the same therapeutic efficacy”, and more.
How the medical University of Vienna, writes in a recent communication, are generic drugs cheaper than original medicines, and offer substantial cost-containment potential of health systems.
In the observational study of 17 drugs studied
Georg Heinze from the Institute for Clinical biometrics, medical University of Vienna, and Yuxi Tian (University of California, Los Angeles), and colleagues have investigated in a retrospective observational study of 17 drugs for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and congestive heart failure (heart failure), hyperlipidemia (High blood fat), and Diabetes Mellitus.
According to the figures, the umbrella Association of the Austrian social insurance to health data, all of which are in Austria, the health insured persons (total number 9,413.620) included, available.
According to the report in the analysis of the latest statistical methods were used to maximize the validity of the study.
This allows a high comparability of the treatment groups (generics had been achieved vs. original drugs), which is a randomised trial very close.
Reduction of the death rate
“Due to the large number of included patients, we were able to get very accurate results,” explains Georg Heinze, “it turned out that generic medications work at least as good as the original substances in relation to the prevention of cardiovascular events and reduction of mortality,” the expert says.
“In previous work, we had calculated the cost reduction potential through the prescription of generic drugs for the Austrian health care, now the picture will be completed.”
The study, which was published in the journal “Scientific Reports”, has been funded by the umbrella Association of Austrian social security institutions, Austrian Agency for food safety (AGES) and the European Union. (ad)